Here are a few of my favs:
Running with the Buffaloes (think I have read this like 15 times lol)
With God on the Starting line
Frank Shorter Bio
Here are a few of my favs:
Running with the Buffaloes (think I have read this like 15 times lol)
With God on the Starting line
Frank Shorter Bio
wiz khalifa wrote:
sand dunes do you have a pdf of marathon man? not on libgen
Check your local library, that's how I read it. Though I do want to get my own copy, as I want to reread certain parts. Another book I would recommend (though he does get some hate here on letsrun) is 50 Marathons 50 Day, by Dean Karnazes. He might not be that impressive, but it is a fun read. Also, Frank Shorter autobiography is another highly recommended book. Though the main thing I didn't like about Frank Shorter's book is how he accused Waldemar Cierpinski of doping.
Animal Keepers
Not sure how old you are but this book helps put things in perspective especially as you get older and times start to go up.
Run Strong, Stay Hungry: 9 Keys to Staying in the Race by Jonathan Beverly
Not sure if this will be ridiculed or not but I liked Again To Carthage better than Once a Runner. Haven't read Racing the Rain yet.
theJeff wrote:
1. Once a Runner.
You will find haters on this board. They are the same people that give the one bad review on Rotten Tomatoes just so their review stands out. Screw them. It is the closest thing to a must-read for any serious - even if only in their own mind - runner in the world of fiction. The follow ups, Again to Carthage and Racing the Rain, aren't nearly as good, but still beat a kick in the pants.
-theJeff
Endure by Alex Hutchinson. If you’re interested in where physiology and psychology meet, it’s an absorbing read. Not all of it is actionable, but I’m convinced some of the concepts helped me get through the weather in Boston this year. Plus, it talks about running the 800m on Pure Hate.
Run Fast, Eat Slow - Shalane Flanagan
For the science-minded, Steve Magness's Science of Running is much better than anything else I've read.
Healthy Intelligent Training was interesting and had some useful information, but feels very dated.
Anything by Kenny Moore is really good. Bowerman and the Men of Oregon is one of his books
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami hasn't been mentioned yet. It's fantastic.
Once A Runner is a must-read.
Run The World by Becky Wade is a good travelogue/running book as well.
FlyingFast wrote:
Book R3vi3w wrote:
I'd agree that there is perhaps a note of condescension to Finn's tone when describing the Japanese, but I do think it springs from a sincere, relatively well-founded place.
He was incredibly impressed with what he witnessed in Kenya - and rightly so. He's baffled by the fact that Japan's numerous hard-working, passionate runners are unable to achieve similar levels of success, and thus is highly attuned to all of their perceived errors and idiosyncrasies.
Basically, he thinks the Japanese should adopt an attitude and training philosophy that more closely mirrors the Kenyans'. And he's probably correct.
He is correct about that. The Japanese need to loosen up a little and run more naturally.
But Finn tends to focus on the negatives way more than on the positives. He barely mentions the fact that the Japanese are producing many more fast marathoners these days than the Americans and British are, and that Japanese high school kids can be shockingly fast. There are also weird sections about inferior private parts, short stature, and other things that are a bit amusing to read but definitely look prejudiced. It's still unfortunately common among British writers to write like this.
It's true that Finn does not give the Japanese enough credit - though I would argue Japanese runners' reputation has improved significantly in the years since the book's publication. The new national marathon record, Kawauchi's victory in Boston, etc. have done a great deal to restore their standing on the international stage.
I agree that Finn also neglects the significance of Japanese high school times. But he was never a competitive scholastic athlete himself, and people without that background often overlook prep accomplishments.
I arrived at a different conclusion, however, on the section that addresses Japanese males' alleged inferiority complex around their genitalia. Finn seems sympathetic to Japanese men who appear to have internalized a racist message on that count, and points to their ill-founded erroneous belief as another example of the psychological hangups that limit competitive achievement.
start here wrote:
For the science-minded, Steve Magness's Science of Running is much better than anything else I've read.
Healthy Intelligent Training was interesting and had some useful information, but feels very dated.
I found Running Science by Owen Anderson very good, the best book on training I’ve read (out of 10). It helps if the reader has some background in science or medcine.
Have read all 4 you mention. & recommend all. IMO, The Perfect Mile is the best running book ever written. Compelling read!!
The Jim Ryun Story
Single Best Advice Book: The Principles of Running by Amby Burfoot
Honorable Mention: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
The older barefoot Tarahumara runners are worth reading about, but the most interesting fact was this:
“We monitored the results of the 2004 New York City Marathon and compared finishing times by age,” Dr. Dennis Bramble, of the University of Utah, tells McDougall. “What we found is that starting at age nineteen, runners get faster every year until they hit their peak at twenty-seven. After twenty-seven, they start to decline. So here’s the question – how old are you when you’re back to running the same speed you did at nineteen?”
64.
Paragon of Pedestrian Wisdom wrote:
Single Best Advice Book: The Principles of Running by Amby Burfoot
Honorable Mention: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
The older barefoot Tarahumara runners are worth reading about, but the most interesting fact was this:
“We monitored the results of the 2004 New York City Marathon and compared finishing times by age,” Dr. Dennis Bramble, of the University of Utah, tells McDougall. “What we found is that starting at age nineteen, runners get faster every year until they hit their peak at twenty-seven. After twenty-seven, they start to decline. So here’s the question – how old are you when you’re back to running the same speed you did at nineteen?”
64.
eff this American shite. all time best is The Ten Greatest Races by Derrick Young back in 1972
I'm getting both books (Magness & Anderson) in terms of scientific reads.
Many thanks to all for sharing your in-depth knowledge and analysis on what to go for!
Why We Run by Bernd Heinrich.
Beautiful and curious scientific memoir. My favorite “running” book, and one of my favorite books.
I'm tired of every running book being a damn memoir.
Cold Clear Day is the best.
Perfect Mile is superb
The Olympian is my favorite from my youth.
If you like history and great stories, I'm working through Fast Tracks: The History of Distance Running, and absolutely love it.
I did enjoy Heinrich's book and have since liked his nature writing.
Can't wait to get a copy of Silence of Great Distance
Jakob Ingebrigtsen has a 1989 Ferrari 348 GTB and he's just put in paperwork to upgrade it
Is there a rule against attaching a helium balloon to yourself while running a road race?
Strava thinks the London Marathon times improved 12 minutes last year thanks to supershoes
How rare is it to run a sub 5 minute mile AND bench press 225?
Mark Coogan says that if you could only do 3 workouts as a 1500m runner you should do these
Am I living in the twilight zone? The Boston Marathon weather was terrible!
Move over Mark Coogan, Rojo and John Kellogg share their 3 favorite mile workouts